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What I loved was how there is so much in the movie of the SRK we have known, and also a totally new star. The gestures, the smile, the wit and the charisma are all too familiar, but you also witness a rawness, an edginess.
When a movie that got the entire nation in a twist – for the right and wrong reasons – hits the theatres, there is bound to be noise. From ‘I am going to watch it – first day first show’ to ‘Boycott the movie and make it a flop’, social media has been a furore of posts.
Let me get one thing straight here – I did not watch Pathaan to make a statement or to simply rebel as people would put it. I went to watch it for the sheer pleasure of witnessing my favourite superstar in all his glory being what he is best at being – his magnificent self. Because when it comes to screen presence, he burns it, melts it and then resurrects it as well like no other. Because when it comes to style and passion, he owns it like a boss. Because SRK is, in a way, my last connecting point to the girl that I once was. Though I have evolved into so many more things over the years, I don’t think I am ready to let go of that girl fully yet.
There is no elephant in the room really here because it’s a fact that Bollywood has a lot of cleaning up to do. Calling out on all the problematic aspects of the industry is important and in doing that, maintaining objectivity is also equally imperative. I went for Pathaan for entertainment and got more than I had hoped for. It is a clever, slick, witty, brilliantly packaged action movie that delivers what it promises to. Logic definitely goes flying out of the window at times and some scenes will make you go ‘kuch bhi’ , but the screenplay clearly reminds you that you knew all along what you were in for. The action sequences are lavish and someone like me who is not exactly a fan of this genre was also mind blown.
Due to crossovers which I believe are now public and no more a surprise, Bollywood now seems to have its own spyverse. There will be a plethora of critical/analytical reviews up on the web on Pathaan, but that’s not my purpose of writing this post.
I am not reviewing the movie because for once I want to just be the cinegoer who enjoyed screaming, hooting, cheering and dancing through the thrilling cinematic experience. For me, this was all about the man who is an emotion, a phenomenon and the boss entertainer of an entire generation. All the other actors truly shone in their respective performances but pardon me if I could not really focus as much on them.
What I loved in the movie was how there is so much of the SRK we have known in it, and then there is also a totally new star we get to see. The gestures, the smile, the wit and the charisma are all too familiar. But you also witness a rawness, an edginess which fits in beautifully to make the overall presentation of his character a winner all the way. If you are a fan of SRK’s romantic avatar, you will see those glimpses too here and there. There is not even a full-blown kiss in the movie, yet the few romantic scenes between SRK and Deepika Padukone sure set the screen on fire. Oh, that smouldering gaze! No one does it like him.
While I do not intend to get into the specifics and nuances of the movie as a whole, there is one point I really wanted to bring up, now that I have watched the entire flick.
I had deliberately refrained from sharing my thoughts on the ‘Besharam Rang’ song when it was released and all the controversy happened. Now I can say that for so much controversy around the song, it actually is important in the movie. Every movement, every expression, every gaze in the song has a purpose leading to a crucial juncture in the narrative immediately after the song is over. Were we quick to jump the guns without understanding the context? Because in my eyes, the character of Deepika was doing exactly what a character like hers would do. I did not feel that her look and movements were pandering to the problematic male gaze.
Yes, we can all have our opinions and perspectives, and can share and learn. But are we mixing up objectification with a character who owns her sexuality and does not shy away from seducing a man she has the hots for? You know what I found really amazing, cool and badass? Right after the song sequence, Deepika shows us her prowess when it comes to action scenes. She sure can rock a bikini and kick some asses in the same breath! And yes, the orange bikini comes and goes like wind – I didn’t even realise it because I was enjoying the exchange of energies between the actors. So much ado for literally nothing!
In the end, I would just say that whether you love him or hate him but you cannot refute his star power. The very fact that the theatre was packed in the morning show with a screaming audience throughout shows that he is beyond controversies, narratives, social media debates or boycotts. He has surely reclaimed his title of ‘Badshah of Bollywood’, if at all there was a threat to it.
Multiple award winning blogger, influencer, author, multi-faceted entrepreneur, creative writing mentor, choreographer, social activist and a wanderer at heart read more...
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